new.degree GmbH will cease its business activities on June 30, 2024.
LAUDA Digital Innovation Hub ceases business operations as of June 30, 2024
new.degree GmbH will cease its business operations on June 30, 2024. The wholly owned subsidiary of LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG, the global market leader for precise temperature control, was founded in 2021 to drive forward the innovation and digitalization of the parent company. There was previously a similar company based in Silicon Valley, USA, but it ceased operations during the pandemic and transferred its tasks to the German company. After careful consideration, the liquidation of new.degree, »The LAUDA Digital Innovation Hub«, will now be completed.
»The closure of new.degree is a decision that was very difficult for me personally. After all, it was my initiative, which I launched full of energy during my stay in Silicon Valley,« explains Dr. Gunther Wobser, President & CEO at LAUDA. »Agile innovation management is still very important to me. However, the last three and a half years have shown that integrating these tasks into the parent company is more efficient.«
Bringing the innovation and digitalization topics back to LAUDA should improve the direct product reference and enable greater economic success in the long term. Only around a year ago, new.degree moved into new offices in the InnoHubs on Skyline Hill in Würzburg, which are now also being vacated. By bundling expertise under the umbrella of the parent company LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG, digital activities will be more closely aligned with the core business and existing customer relationships.
Dr. Mario Englert, CFO at LAUDA and also Managing Director of new.degree GmbH since the beginning of 2024, explains: »Despite numerous ideas each year, only a few have made the leap to concrete business cases. In the current overall economic situation, it makes more sense for LAUDA to focus on its core competencies and drive digitalization forward by additional hired employees at the company headquarters.«
The closure of new.degree GmbH does not mean the end of comprehensive innovation efforts, but rather represents a strategic step towards a more focused approach at LAUDA. »We would like to thank all former employees of new.degree GmbH for their dedicated work over the past few years,« emphasizes Dr. Gunther Wobser. »The experience and knowledge gained is of great value and will enable us to continue to drive forward the digital transformation at LAUDA in the future and be successful in the long term.«
Dr. Gunther Wobser (left), President & CEO of LAUDA, together with Dr. Gerhard Wobser (right) presented the Dr. Rudolf Wobser Medal to Itzik Avni (middle) and thanked him for the long-standing, successful partnership. © Chris Rausch
Dr. Rudolf Wobser Medal awarded for outstanding partnership
LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG has awarded Itzik Avni, owner and Managing Director of the Israeli LAUDA representative Meshulam Avni & Son Ltd. with the Dr. Rudolf Wobser Medal. The world market leader for temperature control technology thus honored the outstanding achievements, tireless commitment and many years of successful cooperation with the Israeli partner from Nescher, southeast of Haifa. The award ceremony took place during the festive gala dinner, which was part of the LAUDA supporting program at the world's leading trade fair ACHEMA in Frankfurt am Main and was attended by numerous LAUDA dealers and international representatives.
The Dr. Rudolf Wobser Medal is the highest award given by the family business in recognition of an individual's outstanding achievements. The award ceremony was a moment of surprise and joy for the recipient: Itzik Avni is only the second recipient from outside the company. Dr. Gunther Wobser, President & CEO of LAUDA, who presented the medal together with his father and former Managing Director, Dr. Gerhard Wobser, emphasized the significance of the award: “The award is a sign of our deep appreciation for Mr. Avni's extraordinary achievements - especially in difficult times such as since the terrible events of October 7, 2023.”
The agency, which has been in business since 1970, tripled its turnover from 2022 to 2023 to over one million euros and was able to not only continue its business activities but also maintain a high turnover level. The personal connection between Meshulam Avni & Son and LAUDA was also highlighted. “The strong relationship between the Avni and Wobser families, which has grown over more than 50 years and generations, reflects our commitment to long-term and successful partnerships. It is our pleasure and privilege to maintain and strengthen these German-Israeli ties,” added Dr. Gunther Wobser. A special highlight will be Itzik Avni's 50th anniversary with the company next year. Health and enjoyment of work run in the family. The company founder, his father Meshulam, worked until the age of 90 and died in April 2010 at the age of 95.
LAUDA acknowledges the achievements of Meshulam Avni & Son and looks forward to future joint projects.
Group photo award presentation (from left to right): Paul King (Managing Director LAUDA Technology Ltd.), Dr. Ralf Hermann, CSO of LAUDA, John Telford (Sales Manager Industrial Units LAUDA Technology Ltd.), Dr. Gunther Wobser, President & CEO of LAUDA, and Dr. Thorsten Ebel (Director Area Sales International). © Chris Rausch
Achievements honored for the fifth time with the LAUDA Award
LAUDA Technology Ltd, the British sales company of LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG, has once again been honored for its outstanding performance with the “Best Agency for Plant Engineering” award. The award ceremony took place on June 11 at the LAUDA stand during the ACHEMA trade fair in Frankfurt am Main. This is the fifth time that LAUDA Technology Ltd. has received this award; the company was last honored in 2022. Special mention was made of the achievements of Paul King and John Telford, Sales Manager Industrial Units, who once again demonstrated their outstanding performance.
In the presence of Dr. Ralf Hermann, CSO of LAUDA and responsible for sales, service and product management, and Dr. Thorsten Ebel, Director Area Sales International at LAUDA, the President & CEO of LAUDA, Dr. Gunther Wobser, presented the award and expressed his appreciation: “It is a remarkable achievement to be so successful in these challenging times. LAUDA Technology, with John Telford as a specialist in plant engineering, has once again demonstrated a high level of technical competence”.
Dr. Hermann praised the performance of the British subsidiary: “The sales growth of LAUDA Technology is impressive every year. It surpasses itself again and again. We are very pleased with this positive development and would like to thank the entire LAUDA Technology team for their commitment.”
The development of LAUDA Technology since its founding in 2012 has been remarkable: after steady growth in recent years, the company has more than doubled its sales in the plant engineering sector to around six million euros. With two major customers from Ireland and another from the UK, LAUDA Technology has a strong customer base in plant engineering that is set to expand further in the coming years.
Bath thermostats LAUDA Universa ACHEMA 2024 © Chris Rausch
World market leader presents groundbreaking new products in Frankfurt am Main
LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER, the world's leading provider of precise temperature solutions, draws an extremely positive conclusion from ACHEMA 2024, the world's leading trade fair for the process industry. From June 10 to 14, the exhibition center in Frankfurt am Main was once again the meeting place for the chemical and pharmaceutical technology, biotechnology and industrial environmental technology sectors. Over the five days of the trade fair, 106,000 visitors from 141 nations found out about the products and services of the 2,842 exhibitors from 56 countries.
With a modern, bright and inviting exhibition stand, LAUDA presented itself to the international trade audience from its best side. The presentation of two new product lines, the LAUDA Ultratemp process thermostats and the Universa bath thermostats, as well as a strong focus on sustainability, energy efficiency and digital products such as the LAUDA Command App characterized the world market leader's trade fair appearance. In numerous discussions with process engineers, biotechnologists, engineers, chemists and other industry experts, LAUDA's groundbreaking refrigeration innovations were convincing across the board.
Product innovations: Ultratemp process thermostats and Universa bath thermostats
At ACHEMA 2024, LAUDA presented the Ultratemp process thermostats to the public for the first time: These impress with their performance and precision and meet the highest requirements for demanding applications in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
As an innovative solution that is characterized by its modular design and the flexible combinability of control heads and baths, LAUDA presented the new Universa product line. The devices work with natural refrigerants and frequency-controlled compressors, which enable energy-saving operation, especially in partial load operation. With the Universa U 8 PRO, the Universa U 1645 MAX and the Universa U 845 MAX, LAUDA is presenting tailor-made and high-performance solutions for a wide range of applications in the laboratory sector at the trade fair.
Dr. Gunther Wobser, President & CEO of LAUDA, was satisfied with the course of the trade fair: “We are proud of how our innovations were received at ACHEMA 2024. The positive response and the continued high level of interest confirm our position as global market leader. Compared to the last ACHEMA, which was significantly weaker in 2022 due to the pandemic, we were able to increase the number of registered contacts by 154 percent. We see this as a positive signal for the challenging financial year.”
- Doc: Press Release – ACHEMA 2024 Exhibition Review (548 KB)
- Fig. 1: LAUDA exhibition stand with visitors ACHEMA 2024 © Chris Rausch (1 MB)
- Fig. 2: LAUDA exhibition stand ACHEMA 2024. © Chris Rausch (1 MB)
- Fig. 3: LAUDA exhibition stand with exhibits ACHEMA 2024 © Chris Rausch (996 KB)
- Fig. 4: LAUDA exhibition stand consultation ACHEMA 2024 © Chris Rausch (924 KB)
- Fig. 5: Bath thermostats LAUDA Universa ACHEMA 2024 © Chris Rausch (770 KB)
- Fig. 6: LAUDA exhibition stand with team ACHEMA 2024. © Chris Rausch (2 MB)
ACHEMA 2024
LAUDA, the world's leading supplier of precise temperature solutions, will present a wide range of innovations at this year's ACHEMA in Frankfurt am Main. Two new product lines and a focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, and natural refrigerants will characterize the LAUDA presentation this year. In addition, a cross-section of the extensive portfolio of process thermostats, circulation chillers, and plant engineering will be on display.
Ultratemp Process Thermostats - High-performance Temperature Control for Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Technology
LAUDA Ultratemp represents a new generation of process thermostats - powerful and precise, designed for demanding applications in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. With impressive heating and cooling capacities of up to 50 kW, a temperature stability of ±0.5 K, and an operating range of -5 °C - 60 °C, Ultratemp process thermostats meet the highest demands. Their robust, easy-to-clean stainless-steel construction and intuitive operation via buttons and LCD allow efficient and precise use. Their bi-frequency power supply and the wide ambient temperature range of -15 °C - 50 °C make them fit for global use. Conceived for biopharmaceutical applications, they can effectively control large volumes of up to 5,000 liters. LAUDA Ultratemp process thermostats will be presented to the public for the first time at ACHEMA.
Universa bath thermostats - modular, sustainable, digital, and powerful
The new LAUDA Universa range of devices comprises three primary performance classes: Universa ECO, Universa PRO, and Universa MAX, which cover all laboratory and pilot plant requirements, from cost-effective entry-level units to powerful professional thermostats. LAUDA Universa has a completely modular design. The control heads and baths can be flexibly combined. With bath volumes of 4 - 42 L and bath depths of 160 - 320 mm as well as cooling capacities of up to 1.5 kW and heating capacities of up to 3.6 kW, the ideal technical solution can be configured for every application and an optimum price/performance ratio ensured. All units in the range use natural refrigerants and frequency-controlled compressors. The latter allows energy-saving operation, especially at partial load. Examples of the Universa U 8 PRO, Universa U 1645 MAX, and Universa U 845 MAX will be on display at the trade fair.
Focus on natural refrigerants and efficiency
In addition to the new product lines, numerous innovative refrigeration solutions for the process industry will be presented, which cover different performance classes and requirements and can be flexibly integrated into complex process structures. A selection from the extensive portfolio of process thermostats and circulation chillers will be on display - with a focus on energy efficiency, sustainability, and natural refrigerants. From propane- and CO2-based process thermostats with a single-digit GWP (Global Warming Potential) value to the current generation of circulation chillers, which enable energy savings of up to 50 percent compared to older, still widely used models, LAUDA underlines its commitment to sustainable development. "Empowering Excellence. For a better future" is both a vision and a commitment, manifested in a comprehensive sustainability strategy that combines technical feasibility, visionary thinking, and a sense of purpose.